The Lorax - A Lifetime with the Trees
by LoA2012
Summary: *The story is based off of the 2012 movie 'The Lorax'; and it starts off the morning after the Once-ler returns to his camp without his thneed and says that he has given up on making thneeds... and in this tale, no one liked the thneed *


The Lorax – A Lifetime with the Trees

_*The story is based off of the 2012 movie 'The Lorax'; and it starts off the morning after the Once-ler returns to his camp without his thneed and says that he has given up on making thneeds... and in this tale, no one liked the thneed *_

"Who is up for ninths?"

"Ohhhh… alright pass'em over", the Lorax said as he sat up on the overcrowded bed; his stomach already disagreeing with the idea of eating more pancakes.

"Yeah, see... I knew you were a pancake lover", the Once-ler smiled as he handed the Lorax the freshly made stack.

"Oh man, what did you put in these pancakes?" the Lorax grinned; his taste buds overpowering his filled stomach.

"Well that my friend, is my little secret."

*MANY YEARS LATER… *

"Morning Mr. Once-ler", Ted said as he entered the '_Thneed_ a Pancake Diner'.

"Good morning Ted, and how's that dear, sweet granny of yours?" the Once-ler yelled from the kitchen.

"She still thinks you're annoying", Ted said casually as he took his usual seat at the counter.

"So, she didn't come with you this morning?" the Once-ler pouted while peeking his head out of the kitchen to look at Ted.

"She said: 'That old geezer is out of his blasted mind if he thinks I am crazy enough to walk all the way out to the woods for breakfast just to have him eyeballing me while I eat!'"

"Oh Teddy, I just don't know what I'm going to do", the Once-ler sighed as he set a plate of pancakes down in front of the boy.

"Cheer up Mr. Once-ler. Hey, why don't you asked someone else out from a change; maybe it will do you good… or hey, maybe it will make Granny jealous", Ted rambled out the words as he stuffed a mouthful of pancake in his mouth.

"Oh no Ted, I could never do that. No… your Gran is the only one for me."

"Personally, I agree with the old lady", the Lorax stepped into the diner and got up on the chair next to Ted, "anyone woman who would agree to stare back at your ugly mug is out of her mind."

"No! No, no, no…" the Once-ler yelled at the Lorax.

"Come on beanpole; just tell me already", the Lorax whined.

"Get out. I am not telling you what I put in the pancakes!" the Once-ler shook his spatula at the Lorax.

"Fine! I can see the customer service here is lacking… a person can't even get a single pancake in this place without a hearing your lip", the Lorax stormed toward the door.

But, just as he opened the door and was going to step outside… the Once-ler flipped a pancake onto his spatula and flung it straight into the back of the Lorax's head.

"There's your single pancake!"

"Ha!" the Lorax heartily laughed as he grabbed the pancake off his head and took a bit. "See you tomorrow, beanpole."

"See… that right there is why Granny Norma won't go out with you", Ted teased.

"What?! Why?" the Once-ler spun around to look at the kid.

"Because, you already fight with someone like you're an old married couple."

"Ha, ha, very funny", the Once-ler turned around and walked back into the kitchen to flip over the pancakes on the grill.

"So kid", the Once-ler said after a few seconds of flipping pancakes and mixing batter, "how's it going with that girlfriend of yours?"

"What?! No, she's not my girlfriend", Ted said, while nearly choking on a piece of pancake.

"Oh, come on Ted, don't tell me you still haven't asked that girl out yet. Geez, Audrey comes in here every Saturday for lunch and tells me how you crash-land that plane of yours in her yard all the time."

"Yeah, I know I do, but… WAIT! She comes in here, and… and talks about _me_", Ted finished his sentence with a fool's grin.

"Oh, did I never mention that before", the Once-ler sarcastically responded.

"Now I see why the Lorax gets mad at you", Ted jumped from his chair and marched out of the diner.

*FIVE SECONDS LATER…*

"You said Audrey comes here on _Saturdays_ for lunch?" Ted popped his head through the diner's door.

"Yup", the Once-ler hummed.

"Thanks Mr. Once-ler", Ted chirped as he closed the door and ran back home to fly (crash) is toy plane.

"I really like that kid", the Once-ler said as he patted the head of the little bear that was sitting on one of his kitchen countertops. "You know, maybe in a few years, I'll sit Ted down and tell him what's in my pancakes. After all, Ted's hear everyday anyway, and I would like to someday leave this old place to someone who loves it as much as Ted does. You know what little guy… I think I would like to tell Ted the secret right here in this kitchen. I would sit him down and say: 'Ted my boy, now that this place is all your own, you will need to be the one to make the pancakes. So… the secret, which I have never told to a single soul… the secret to the entire recipe… the secret to my life's success, is… I put mashed truffula berries in the pancake mix'."

"Now then, my little buddy", the Once-ler smiled as he picked up the tiny bear, "the breakfast rush is over, and I say we go out and water the trees. After all, where would we be without trees?"

THE END


End file.
